When Li Mo finished telling the story of the tenth life, every listener in the inn was still discussing it. Some said they had been to the Chasm and seen the commemorative statues. Others said they had seen the Spear of Comradeship atop the highest peak of the Chasm and that it was indeed a fine weapon. A few even volunteered to go to the Chasm to inspect the seal. If possible, they wanted to retrieve Bosacius's remains and bury them near Liyue Harbor. But in the five hundred years since, the Chasm had changed completely. No one could guarantee they would find the mine crack again, and no one dared to break the seal created by Boyang and Rongzhao.
While the audience murmured, in another corner of the inn, Barbatos, the three Electro sisters (Makoto, Ei, and the Raiden Shogun), Rex Lapis, Alatus, and Yae Miko had all listened to the story of Bosacius. Even these powerful beings and gods could not help but sigh.
Though the story took place in Liyue, and Bosacius had died in Liyue, the monster calamity five hundred years ago had not been limited to Liyue. It had swept across all of Teyvat. Every nation had been invaded. During that time, countless tragedies had occurred. Hearing this story awakened buried memories in them. It was that very calamity that had killed Makoto in the fallen nation of Khaenri'ah and the kitsune Saiguu, who had died protecting Narukami Island.
So now, Barbatos and the three Shoguns could well understand Xiao's sorrow. But if they looked at it another way, Bosacius had been the reincarnation of a certain person. After death, he would surely not enter the underworld. He would enter the cycle of reincarnation again. As long as the cycle continued, they would meet again one day. Was that not a form of consolation?
In that moment, a strange thought occurred to Ei: could it be that Saiguu was also one of her brother's reincarnations? Could Ei ever see Saiguu again?
Just as Ei was lost in thought, Barbatos spoke. "I really don't want to recall those days. Just after we dealt with the calamity of the evil dragon, a monster tide appeared. If not for Dvalin, those monsters would have been hard to handle. Of course, I fought hard too."
Thinking back, he had to admit that the dragon calamity and the monster tide had both struck five hundred years ago. He and Dvalin had expended great effort to resolve those troubles.
Zhongli said slowly, "And then you stopped doing any real work and left all the fighting to Dvalin?"
Ei added, "How miserable that dragon must be, saddled with such a master."
Hearing this, Barbatos was immediately displeased. "How can you say that? I fought very hard in those days. I didn't even have time to drink."
He picked up his cup. "Eh heh, old man, down this cup with me."
Zhongli: "…"
...
Just as the gods were chatting and laughing, a young woman carrying several funeral flyers appeared behind them. It was Hu Tao, the current director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
When she saw Consultant Zhongli again, she showed no embarrassment. She patted him on the shoulder, greeted the gods, and then lowered her gaze to meet Xiao's.
"Hehe, you really are an adeptus. Your adeptal aura is even stronger than Shenhe's. Impressive. I was deeply moved by the story of Lord Bosacius. So Wangsheng Funeral Parlor would like to hold a funeral for him. Do you have any objections?"
Though she was only human, Hu Tao showed not the slightest stage fright before gods and adepti. Leaning on Zhongli's shoulder and pointing at them felt exhilarating.
At the word "funeral," Xiao's expression darkened. "You—"
Hu Tao cut him off. "Me? What about me? Considering that Lord Bosacius gave his life to protect Liyue, we'll waive the fee for this funeral. That's generous enough, isn't it?"
Xiao composed himself. "Do as you wish. I have no objection."
If Bosacius knew that centuries later his story was being retold by a storyteller and that people still remembered him, he would surely be pleased. A grand funeral was no more than he deserved.
Hu Tao smiled. "It's settled then. But to be clear, we're waiving the fee for Lord Bosacius's funeral, not yours. If you want to pre‑order your own, you'll have to pay a deposit. Of course, since you're also a yaksha, I'll give you fifty percent off."
Her professional habits were showing. She wanted to turn everyone into a client.
Xiao's expression turned cold. "Not necessary."
Just then, Zhongli, who had been sitting calmly, spoke. "Director, is that the only reason you came?"
He could face anyone with equanimity, but Hu Tao's unpredictable antics never failed to surprise even him.
Hu Tao grinned. "Of course not. As the director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, I'm here to promote our business."
She glanced at Barbatos, the three Shoguns, and Yae Miko, then stuffed a few flyers into Zhongli's hands. Leaning close to his ear, she whispered, "Zhongli, ever since you joined Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, I've paid your bills at Wanmin Restaurant many times. I've treated you well, haven't I? Now you've spent all the parlor's Mora. If we don't get some business soon, we'll go bankrupt. It's up to you to save Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Go turn all of them into our customers. Take every Mora they have."
After whispering this, she glanced back at Barbatos and the three Shoguns, only to meet their fierce gazes. Her heart jumped. She was startled.
Had they heard her?